Well, Look at The Bright Side ...!

by Michelle Monkou

I've thought about that phrase -- well, look at the bright side ... and how it started to become ingrained in my life from time that I was young girl. The advice probably was of little comfort to me because the upbeat sentiment usually followed something that would have made me sad or angry. But it was something that my parents would say, especially my father, to boost my spirit.

Nowadays, I find myself often sharing that bit of advice with my children, with other family members, and friends. My gems of wisdom and experience are often met with groans of protest or frustration to stop with the "wise elder" approach.

But you know what? Thre is nothing wrong with hope and optimism.

There is purpose to looking at the bright side life. Doesn't mean that you are oblivious to what is wrong or what is bad or unacceptable. Doesn't mean that you can't be angry, upset, or disgusted.

And if there isn't a myriad of reasons for that bright side to show itself, then the main lesson might simply be that you have survived to live another day, to have a better chance, to overcome the odds.

As a writer of romance novels, I write about hope and optimism within each story. I bring imperfect people together with imperfect lives and toss in challenges and opportunities to test their strengths, trigger their weaknesses, and force them to dig deep to be the hero or heroine of their story as they fall in love.

Happy ever after is that bright side that we celebrate long after the story ends and the readers fondly reminisce about the characters. Romance books are not only for entertainment, but can be handy tools of life lessons reminding us to see and believe in our humanity and capacity to love.

Looking at the bright side ... don't underestimate its power.

All the best,

Michelle